


Family

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 17:10:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18952411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Willow has some big news to share with her husband and father-in-law. Willow belongs to willownorthbook and Jay and Astor belong to SpaceUnicornDot.





	Family

A lot had changed since Willow had met and fallen in love with Jay. She’d relaxed a lot more, she’d started to enjoy the little things in life a lot more, almost every day had ended with happiness. She felt safe, secure, loved.

And yet, she still left the doctor’s office that day feeling shaken. Pale. Like the world had just tilted on its axis forever. And yes, it was safe now, safe to have a family, safe to get married and do whatever they wanted. The proof of that was in the wedding ring around her finger, in the postcards that she got from Daine in Pandoria every so often, in the fact that the looming apocalypse hadn’t even been allowed to happen. But she could still barely bring herself to look at the piece of paper that she held. The proof that the several tests she’d taken that morning had been truthful, positive, that they hadn’t all been false positives. She’d asked the doctor many times if she was sure, if the test didn’t need to be redone. But the doctor had confirmed, a bright grin on her face, that the test was positive, that it was real, that it was happening, that she was…

Willow tried to practice saying the words, though it was hard. She didn’t want to seem stupid, saying them to herself, so she practiced with Hawkeye first. Her wonderful Soul Steed who’d been with her through it all, who was still with her despite the nightmares that she’d had.

“Hawkeye, I’m…” but she couldn’t even finish that thought. She trembled, closing her eyes and holding her palm against his cheek as she stood in front of him at the bus stop where the bus had just dropped her off from Jorvik City. Willow bit her lip, tears spilling down her cheeks. If she couldn’t even say it to her Soul Steed, how was she going to manage to say it to Jay? To her father? To her family, both blood and adopted?

“I know,” Hawkeye rumbled softly to her, pressing his cheek into Willow’s palm. Willow opened her eyes, staring at him.

“What?” Willow whispered aloud in her surprise.

“I knew before you did,” said Hawkeye. “But really, Rebel knew first.”

“Rebel?” Willow echoed, frowning. “Why would she…?”

“I’m not sure,” said Hawkeye. “But I know you’re only distracting yourself.”

“I just don’t know how I’m gonna tell them,” said Willow. “It’s stupid. We’re married, we’ve… you know… why am I nervous about this?”

“Starting a new life together is one thing,” said Hawkeye. “But creating and then raising new life? That’s something else entirely.”

“I know,” said Willow. “We were actually… kind of planning this.” At least to the point where they’d agreed that if it happened, it happened. That they wanted a child together. Not actively trying, but not not trying, either.

“Then I’m sure he won’t be upset,” said Hawkeye. “He may faint, though.”

“Leave my lost puppy husband alone,” said Willow. Hawkeye snorted.

“At least tell him to sit down first,” said Hawkeye. Willow shook her head, smiling, and swung herself up into the saddle. She may as well enjoy riding her four-legged best friend while it was still safe to do so.

Willow was relieved to find that there was a dapple grey Clydesdale waiting outside her and Jay’s house above the wolves’ den in Mistfall. Though Astor may not be related to her by blood, he was as much her father as Oskar was. Also, thanks to Jay, her father in law. And probably the best father in law, even if he did sometimes get up to as much mischief as Daine.

“Hey, you’re home,” said Jay, smiling at Willow from the couch after she’d entered the living room. “Did you find what you were looking for?” Suddenly, the paper in Willow’s pocket felt red-hot. The one that proclaimed, in no uncertain words, her condition.

“Yeah,” said Willow, nodding and fighting the urge to wipe her sweaty palms on her jeans. Jeans that probably wouldn’t fit as well soon. “I’ve, um… I’ve got something to tell you. Both of you, really, and since you’re both here…”

“What is it?” Jay asked, and Willow marvelled, once again, over the fact that he still had that bright-eyed wonder about the world.

“I knew you were pregnant, you stupid bitch,” said Astor, quoting a video that they’d watched several times. He often said that in response to someone saying they had news, or that they were late. He’d never been correct about it before. But Willow’s pale face, the way she swayed slightly, made Astor blanch, his mouth falling open.

“Really?” Jay asked, the first to speak. Willow nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 

“Oh,” said Astor, immediately getting up so that Willow could sit next to Jay on the couch. Her legs almost folded beneath her, and she was grateful for the support of the plush couch.

“That’s what I went into town for,” said Willow, rubbing her arm as Jay pulled her closer to him. He was actually glowing, his glamour now not used anymore since Pandorians were starting to be more accepted. His runes were glowing so brightly that he was almost a solid pink. “I was feeling a bit off so I took several tests and they came back positive, so I went to the doctor’s for a blood test just to make sure and…”

“I’m going to be a dad?” Jay asked, his eyes huge, reflecting the pink from his glowing runes. Willow nodded, smiling now as the truth sunk in.

“We’re going to be parents,” said Willow, feeling a rush of happiness swell through her. It was tinged with nerves, though, of course, and she was glad to be sitting down. “I’m not sure how I’ll go about raising a part-Pandorian child but maybe Daine might have some tips.”

“Hello, father of a Pandorian here,” said Astor. “I’m gonna be a grandpa. I’m gonna be a grandpa!” Willow had never seen the man look so happy, he was almost glowing as much as his son.

“You are,” said Willow, resting a hand over her stomach almost without realising. “I’m just- terrified.”

“Then it’s a good thing for you that you have at least one friend who actually has a child and a father in law who raised that husband of yours for a good few years,” said Astor. “Until the proverbial hit the fan and I had to go live on the other side of the country with my human husband.”

“Thank you for not swearing in front of my unborn child,” said Willow. Saying it made it real, made the butterflies start up again, the nerves start jangling again, her heart start racing again.

“I am going to do everything in my power to make your pregnancy as easy as possible,” said Jay, his hand joining Willow’s on her stomach. She wasn’t even showing yet, and she couldn’t imagine how scary it would be when she did start showing. The doubts continued to swirl, though.

“Will you still love me when I get fat?” Willow blurted. It sounded so stupid when it was out of her mouth, but anxiety was never rational. “And when I’ve got morning sickness and when the hormones make me crabby and when I want all these weird cravings and when these stupid fears keep cropping up?”

“Nothing could ever make me love you less, Willow,” said Jay, taking both of Willow’s sweaty, shaking palms in his own. “If anything, it’ll only make me love you more. Because even though it’s hard and scary, you’re doing this. You’re giving me a child. Our child. We’re gonna have a baby, Willow!” Tears shone in his eyes as he grinned at her, and Willow blinked away tears of her own as she wrapped her arms around Jay tightly.

“Well, technically, you gave me the child,” said Willow. Jay blushed.

“You know what I mean,” said Jay. “I… did my part, and now you’re going to be bringing our child into the world. We need to start thinking of names! And decorating the nursery and making a nursery and picking schools and…”

“Slow down there,” said Willow, laughing even as her stomach lurched with anxiety. This early, there was every risk of something going wrong, so it wasn’t good to make plans until much later on in her pregnancy.

“You’re right,” said Jay, shaking his head. “Let’s just start with getting through the pregnancy first. Oh! We should go into Jorvik City and buy as many books on pregnancy as we can find.”

“Jay, real life isn’t like The Sims,” said Willow, her laughter spurred on by pure adoration now. “Most people just look up tips online now.”

“But you said that people can lie online,” said Jay. “I just trust books more.”

“Well, at least you’re not running up my credit card bill buying stupid things online,” said Willow. Besides, Jay had his own bank account now. He hadn’t bought stupid things online for years, saying that he preferred physically touching things. Just another thing that Willow loved about him. She could already see him holding baby clothes to Willow’s belly for size, and getting his hands dirty first building the nursery and then painting it and decorating it and building a cot…

Jay noticed the faraway look in Willow’s eyes and couldn’t help but feel a tug of love at his heart. She got that look so often around him, he wondered if that was the same look he got when he was thinking about how much he loved Willow. Which was very often. He’d never known a love like this before, not since he’d lost his parents in Pandoria. Well… his mother, anyway. His father had escaped, as it turned out, had gone to Jorvik even before he had.

By the time Jay came back to himself, he saw that Willow was crying.

“Willow?” Jay asked, eyes wide with concern. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s fine, I’m just-“ Willow began before she took a deep breath and wiped the tears away. “It’s just that I never thought I’d ever have this. And I know everyone says that but I honestly never thought that I’d have someone who loves me this much. I thought the closest thing I’d ever come to motherhood would be Quinn or Atlas or one of my other horses, I never thought that…”

“It’s real,” said Jay, rubbing Willow’s back comfortingly. “I love you, you’re my wife, and now we’re having a baby.” His heart skipped a beat and Willow felt her own heart jump too at the words. “We’re actually having a baby.”

“Are we the first to know?” Astor asked, apparently having calmed down enough to speak.

“Considering I could barely get the words out, I thought that would’ve been obvious,” said Willow. “Of course you’re the first to know, I came straight here from Jorvik City. It was supposed to just be Jay at first, though.”

“I’d apologise for crashing your big news but I’m gonna be a grandpa!” said Astor, his eyes almost as bright as his son’s runes. “And here I just came over to ask Jay if he’d be down for a game night held here, just like old times.”

“I was just saying that he’d have to ask you when you came in,” said Jay. “I thought it was perfect timing but I never expected this.” He grinned, gesturing to her stomach.

“Maybe you can help us get used to having a child in the house,” said Willow to Astor, a gleam of amusement in her eyes.

“I am too happy to be offended,” said Astor. “I want to tell everyone but this is your news to share as you see fit so I’ll butt out of it.”

“Thank you,” said Willow, giving him a relieved and grateful smile. “I think we should actually wait a few weeks before we start telling people, though. That’s what all the advice online says. And I have to start eating healthy and everything, so I might even need to tell Louisa first.”

“I will do everything I can to make this as easy for you as possible,” said Jay, looking into Willow’s eyes. “I promise.” He’d said it before, but this time, being as reassured as she was, it actually sunk in. Willow was Jay’s true north, he’d always come back to her, again and again, no matter how hard it got, no matter what life threw at them.

“I know you will,” said Willow, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much. She was still nervous, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever not be nervous. But Jay, as ever, made her feel calm. Like everything would be okay. Like the world wasn’t half as dark as she knew it to be. More than anything else, she loved him for that. And she knew that this child would have the best father it could ever ask for.


End file.
